Resilient wheel



July 3l, 1923.

A. A. MENDENHALL RESILIENT WHEEL Filed June 11. 1919 To all whom it. may concern:

Vsilient Wheels, 4ot which Patented July 3l, 1.923.v I

i "EVT Aus'rm A. iyrENDEnHALI.,

Yor DULUTH, MiiiitnsOTA.iV ,Y

nnsirinn'r WHEEL.

4 Application led .T une 11,

.Be it known that I, AUSTIN A. MnNDnN-v HALL, a citizen ofthe UnitedStates, residing at Duluth, in the'county of StfLouisf and State of Minnesota, have invented certain neWand usefulV Improvementsfin Rethe following is a s eciication. j

il y invention relates to vehicle wheels and more specically to an improved wheel in which devices to absorb theA shocks received from the roadby the rim of the iently'cushion radial^-forces only and asec- Aso ond set of spokes to' transmit tangential forces vandassist in cushioning the radial forces.`

Y. vAv special. object nof my kinvention is lto' provide a device of the characterab'ove reerred to wherein all the parts. are substantially dust-proof, that is to say, no open" crevices or joints between moving parts are exposed to the dust 'and' dirt ot the road in such a manner as to'allow grit to work in between the parts and impairthe opera` tion of the device] Further objects and advantages of 4my linvention will becomefapparent as the devscription proceeds.

In the accompanying drawings,`Figurev1 Lis a side view of a vehiclewheel showing the application of myiinvention thereto..f

l Fig. 2'isa radial-sectionlof one of the torque or sleeve -spokes takenin a `plane perpendicularto'that of the wheel. Fig. 3 is a section ofthe saine spoke on the line 3-3of Fig. 2. Fig. 4-is a radial vsectionof one-of the pneumatic spokes. i

. ,Y In the embodiment of my invention se-l f spokes 14.

`prises a short section T15, extending 'outlected. for illustration 10 indicates the hub Vof a vehicle wheel adapted 'to receive an aXlell.. The rim 12 is supported by aplu- -rality of spokes .dividedl into two sets,

pneumatic spokes 13 and torque or 'sleeve Each pneumaticV spokev comwardly from the hub, carrying at its end-a.

periphery of the cylinder 17; 1

191e. seriaif no.. 303,363.

Y Y Y ri rice. c

saddle -16 formed of suitable 4material such if' as cast metal and adapted to embrace and rest upon about one-fifth of thepei'iphery of a pneumatic cylinder17. The walls of jthe cylinder '17. may be Vof rubber or rubberized yfabric, or any combination-ofthe if f two, in any desired number of plies. `The cylinder 17. is carried in a cradle 18ormedy of suitable material having two flangesvextending on either 4side of the cylinder. and

conning the cylinder betweeny them in close f gripping engagement vwlien the cylinderv is properly inflated throughthe #valve 319.

' rThe valve 19is locatedatthe center'otthe cylinder 17 and aihole 2O is provided in one of the walls 'of'V the cradle allowing suicient clearancel for vslight movement of the valve 19 and for removing the-valve cap.l The cradles 18 may be separate castings suit ablyjattached to the vriin- 12,01" the'fwheel formed oi" a single; casting.k .Asvshowm they embrace approximately two-fths The torque spokes 14 comprise a suitablev korrthe cradles `for an entire Ywheel maybe i portion 21 projecting outwardly from'the huband terminatingin a tapered portion 22 having at'its eXtreme end aflat tongue 23 eX.- tending in the planev .of the wheel. i The tngue 23 is received in a groove 24: in a suit'- Y- able" socketV member or bushing 25 mounted on the vrim of the Iwheel.- A sleeve 26 of rubber or rubberized fabric or anydesired resill ient material embraces the tapered portionv 22 of the spoke, being fastened at its -inner endl to the spoke 21 by any suitabletasten-v Ving siich,'for instance, as anv ordinaryhose clampfat 27 and at'its lower end embracing and being rmly -fastened vto the socket' y.member l25. Thefastening means for the outer end of the sleevej26 comprises twov seg-'v mental sleeves^28 through which Vl-passes va boltA 29k with a nut'f29clamping them Y against the sleeve and the sleeve against the 'bushing` Thebolt 29penetrates both'the 'sleeved andy the; ybushing and passes through a'hole 30 in the `tongue 23 whichholeis conbclt, thus allowing'the tongue 23'tomovein any direction in the groove 24'for a totalI y displacement equal to the difference between@A the radii of the bolt and thehole.

'i In the type of wheel illustrated in Figure 1', "the`r pneumatic spokes 13 are" to.l be .in-

'flated to Carry substantially the entire weight siderably larger than theV diameter of' the 105 of the vehicle although the sleeves 26. von the I' f many'modii'ications and. improvements will supporting the rim from the hub constitute excellent dust-proof protectors for the joints ol the torque spokesY lll. The cylinders l? when ini'lated are tightly gripped by the-llanges ot the cradles 18 so that there is no opportunity afforded 'for dust or other foreign material to Work Ainto the cradles and aliect the cylinders. lt Will be seen that l have provided a resilient Wheel in which the hub is carried almost Wholly by pneumatic vsupporting means Which does not make contact with the road. My device'is composed ol relativelv eivparts, cheap'to manufacture, easy-to assemble and repair and durable and dust-prooi' in actual service conditions. A

While l have described and illustrated in detail a preferredv embodiment et' my invention, it should be clearly understood that such disclosure is illustrative only andr that u naturally occur to persons skilled in the art. l aim inthe subjoined' cla ins to-cover all such legitimate modifications and improvements.

' l'claiinr as my invention :Y

. l. A. spoke for Wheels comprising a radially extendingmember, a socket receiving said member, means allowing a definite limited amount of relative movement between said member and said socket lin any kce direction in theV plane oit the Wheel, and a` tubular covering on said socket'extending inwardly to' cover part of said member.

2; rlhe combination recited in claim l in Which said tubular covering is fastenedv at its ends to the member andV theY socket and is resilient, whereby radial displacements ci said socket with respect to said member are cushioned. and resisted.r

3. [i Wheel having, in combination, a centrally located hub, a singlerim surrounding saidihub, and spokes extendi l; betiveen'said hub and rim, each spoke comprising'a radially extending member, a socket receiving said member, a connection between said socket andv member allowing Ya deinite limited amount of relative movement between the parts in any direction in the plane oli the Wheel. and a tubular covering on said socket extending inwardly toV cover said connection and part of said radially extending member.

extensible inder having lilat ends said cradle haviges partly covering said ends and engaging the same, and a shoe caric cylinder.

a resilient spoke for Wheels, a pneumatic cylinder', cradleembracing. approximatelv two 'iths oit' theperiphery of said cylinder, anda shoe opposite said: cradle resting on said cylinder throughout approximately one lilith" of its periphery.

6. The combination recited in claim 5 in which said cylinder has flatends and ini coinbination with flanges on said cradle covera sector ,or each end amounting to approximately tivo tths of the end surface of said cylinder.

27. resilient Wheel comprising, in combination, a rim, a hub, aplurality of radially but `substantially -non-'llexible spokes' rigidly secured at their opposite ends to the rim and hub, respectively, whereby to restrain relative rotary motion between the riin and hub, and separate means interposed between the'rim andthe Vhubad'apted to resist radial forces. Y f

S. A resilient spoke comprising a cradle adapted to be attached to the rimot the Wheel and to receive aV pneumatic cylinder, having diameter not less than approximately one-hal' the radius of theivheel, a pneumatic cylinder in said cradle and a shoe adapted to engage Vsaid Vpneumatic cylindei' opposite said cradle. 1

9. A resilient spoke comprising a cradle attached to the rim ofthe Wheel, a pneumatic cylinder having a diameter not less than approximately half theradius ofthe ivheel and located in'said cradle, andla shoe opposite said cradle restingonamaterially smaller arca than thatsupported by said cradle.

HLA spokexfor Wheels comprising a radially projecting member, `atongue on the end ot said member, a socket having a'groove adapted to receive said tongue, said tongue having an aperture, and axbolt having a diameter materially less than the diameter ot said aperture VYand passing through said socket and said aperture to limit the in ovement of said tongue in said groove;

1l, ln a device of the character described, a rim, a hub, a set otradial spokes'comprising vpneumatic means adapted to resiliently resist radial forces, and another set. of spokes lined against pivotal movement and havinga lost motion connection to limit the displacement of said rim With respect to said hub.

l2. In a. resilient spoke for Wheels, a-pneiimatic cylinder, a cradle embracing a substantial portion of the outer .side oit said cylinder, and a shoe opposite said cradle restingv on a materially smaller area than v that supported'by said cradle.

13. A resilient Wheel comprising a hub, 5 a rim, a plurality ofispokes interposed be'- tween the hub and rim adapted yieldably to resist relative radial movement therebe-v` tween, and separatemeans acting to resist l l AUSTIN A. MENDENHALL. 

